DotA 2's "Rekindling Soul" Update Brings Massive Changes

It's not every day that DotA 2 sees an update of the same scale as the recently announced "Rekindling Soul," or patch 6.82. The patch will include map changes, updates to runes, a new item, a visual update for one hero, and two hero reworks - all of this on top of the usual host of hero and item rebalances.

Hero Reworks

Patch 6.82 will feature three major hero reworks.

First off, Valve revealed that Shadow Fiend would be receiving not just a basic visual update, but a purchasable Arcana item, the "Demon Eater," that will make his model more terrifying than ever by adding flames and altering his voiceovers, as well as changing skill effects, attack animations, and portrait.

Fans of the hero who purchase the Arcana before Halloween on October 31st will have their item upgraded to Exalted quality, giving an added boost to their bragging rights.

Two heroes will also be receiving major skill reworks.

Bloodseeker fans will have to say goodbye to his Blood Bath skill and hello to his new Blood Rite ability. The new skill places an AoE on the ground for 3 seconds. At the end of the timer, all enemies within the area are damaged and silenced.

Bloodseeker's Bloodrage ability has also been reworked. No longer will it silence the unit on whom it is placed, nor will it do damage over time. Instead, the ability applies a buff similar to the removed Blood Bath skill to the affected unit, allowing them to regain health for any unit they kill, on top of the original damage increase. Careful, though... If the affected unit is killed, the killer will receive 25% of their max health.

Phantom Lancer will also get a number of skill reworks. While his Phantom Lance ability ability is unchanged, Juxtapose has replaced Phantom Edge as his ultimate, and will apply to both Phantom Lancer himself and to his illusions.

His other abilities will be replaced by entirely new skills. Phantom Rush, a passive usable by both the hero and his illusions, will increase move speed when an attack command is given on an enemey outside of the attack range, allowing players to quickly close the distance between themselves and their prey.

The other new ability, Doppelganger, will teleport Phantom Lancer and all active illusions to a nearby location, scramble their positions, and generate two new illusions: one which takes 600% damage from enemies but deals 20% of Phantom Lancers damage, and one which deals 0 damage but takes regular damage from enemies.

Map Changes

The "Rekindling Soul" update will also bring changes to DotA 2's map.

Roshan, the giant boss monster which grants the team which kills him a large sum of gold, experience, and an item which grants immunity to one hero, has had his lair moved. Many of the paths around his lair have also been editted and moved to accomodate the the change.

Runes have also seen a rework in this patch. Whereas one rune used to spawn at each two minute mark at one point (either at the top or bottom of the river which crosses the map diagonally,) two runes will now spawn, meaning one will be available at each position.

Both of these changes will have major effects on the strategy of the MOBA and will definitely bring the potential for some exciting new battles.

A Hero's Arsenal

6.82 brings with it 2 new items - one purchasable and one new rune.

The new rune, called the Bounty Rune, will grant an instant gold and experience boost to the lucky hero who is able to claim it.

The Shopkeeper has also stocked a new item on his shelves: the Crimson Guard. Made by combining a Vanguard and a Buckler, the item has a passive chance to block incoming damage, as well as an active ability which grants bonus armor and a protective shell to nearby allies. Players may recognize the item from DotA 2's holiday event, Festival of the New Bloom, where they were able to purchase it to help in the fight against the Year Beast.

Items, and Skills, and Bug Fixes... Oh my!

As with all updates, "Rekindling Soul" also brings a plethora of smaller changes to other hero abilities and items. Cooldowns have been changed, damage recalculated, and item effects changed. Each of these are likely to bring changes to the meta in upcoming games.

For more information, you can read the official post on the DotA 2 website, or download the latest update to the DotA 2 Test Client to try out the changes now.